Sprint Cup at Kentucky? No Thanks

Consider the effort to get NASCAR Sprint Cup racing in the Bluegrass State officially underway.

Monday, Speedway Motorsports Incorporated's Bruton Smith talked at Lowe's Motor Speedway about how he's revamping his recent Kentucky Speedway purchase, and more importantly, his plan to lobby NASCAR for a Sprint Cup date at the track in 2010.

But, come on, does NASCAR really need another 1.5-miler on its schedule -- even if it likely replaces another cookie-cutter track?

I say no, if for no other reason than to look at the last two outings that NASCAR's top division has made at Richmond and Talladega.

Talladega, if I remember correctly, had a little bit of controversy thanks to a pair of multi-car wrecks, plenty of close racing (does anyone really care if it's artificially good?) and that Carl Edwards crash injuring a few fans. Sure, the race had a few major flaws, but it was something NASCAR hadn't had at such a level in a long while: lots of things for fans to talk about at the water cooler the next day.

And Richmond on Saturday night, of course, was just good ol' Richmond. Kyle Busch may have stunk up the show at the very end, but there was on-track action, passes for the lead and drama in the pits.

Now think back for a second to NASCAR's first three visits to 1.5-milers this season -- the "cookie-cutters" because they are all the same length with either a dogleg or sweeping curve frontstretch and similar corner banking -- at Atlanta, Las Vegas and Texas, and tell me what the most compelling storylines were.

Kyle Busch grabbed a hometown win in Las Vegas, Kurt Busch dominated Atlanta and Jeff Gordon finally found victory lane again in Texas. In between? Few incidents and a healthy dose of yawns for spectators at home.

And still yet to come this year in the 1.5-mile department are two visits to Lowe's Motor Speedway, a stop by Chicagoland, a visit to Kansas and returns to Atlanta and Texas

Tell me again why NASCAR fans need more of the same at Kentucky in the Sprint Cup schedule?

Kentucky won't be vastly different from any of those other venues, except that its banking is moderately lower than most. It has not been a track known for its consistent side-by-side racing during Nationwide Series races there.

Smith didn't elaborate on how he plans to secure a date for his new track in 2010, other than to say he's looking at swapping a date from one of the other SMI-owned properties. And because nearly the entire SMI portfolio is in the cookie-cutter style of track with the exception of Bristol, New Hampshire and Infineon, the swap wouldn't make a dramatic change to the complexion of the NASCAR schedule.

A lack of change, honestly, would be somewhat of a disappointment.

Racing at Kentucky would probably have a nice honeymoon period, but just like Chicagoland or Kansas, the luster of a downforce racetrack is starting to wear thin in this sport where the best shows are nearly always on a track with actual character.

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

5-05-2009 @ 7:09AM

illsell4u said...

Duh, get rid of Indy if they cannot race a full 33-34 laps, or one full load of fuel.
mbl

5-05-2009 @ 4:38PM

Kim said...

Gotta agree with Mike here. (BTW, Mike....how was mancation? Did you miss me? Sorry I couldn't lace up my bikini to come with you....it's all packed for my Miami vacation this Saturday. :-)

Indy sucks and has sucked for over two years! Let the Formula One cars continue to race there since that's what the track was built for anyway.

Those of us here in OH would give anything to have a track close enough for us to attend. Oddly enough, Pocono in PA is quite far from me as is Michigan Motor Speedway. I can't afford to go to a race! Now if Kentucky had a track, I can be there in four hours. Count me in!

Kim

5-06-2009 @ 1:03PM

jldmfg said...

where in Ohio do you live? We are in Cincy it takes us 4-4 1/2 pulling a camper and that's stopping for gas usually twice and eating.

5-05-2009 @ 4:46PM

On a side note, forgot to mention....Here in Columbus, OH our beloved "hometown heros" (our minor league baseball team), The Clippers just got a brand new stadium in the Arena district where are beloved Blue Jackets also have an arena. Anyhoo....there was much talk about what to do with the historic ballpark that housed our Clippers for years. A representative from the Nationwide Series wanted to purchase Clipper Stadium and make a one mile in half track for the NASCAR Trucks and Nationwide Cars to race here.

Some of us were thrilled! But there was a problem....the slum neighbors who live near Clipper Stadium (neighborhood is referred to as "the bottoms" if that tells you anything), put up a huge stink and our crappy politicians listened to them and said, "no." Our city would have made a FORTUNE off of this. Spectators would come from all over OH and instead of tearing a crappy neighborhood down even more, the race track would have improved it as they were going to put up a brand new parks and recreations site nearby on the property, too. But no, now the stadium sits bare, making no revenue, while our crappy politicians sit with their thumbs up their butts wondering what to do with it now!

So hell ya, bring a track to Kentucky!!!!!

Kim

5-05-2009 @ 5:35PM

Mancation was great Kim. The bathing suit was optional, wink wink.
mike

5-05-2009 @ 8:40PM

Brad said...

Kim, kentucky does have a track and I have to agree with GM here, who the hell wants another 1.5 cookie cutter snore fest with 10-15 on the lead lap at the end of the race. How about a 1.5 or 1 mile dirt track? Whataya think Geoffrey?

5-06-2009 @ 7:36AM

Hey Brad!

My bad, I see that now. Apparently the Nationwide Series runs there. I want to see a Sprint Cup race however and have nowhere close enough to home to do so.

I get what you and Geoffrey are saying about having another "cookie cutter" track, but my point was it would be okay if they eliminated Indy. It looks like this year we are in for much of the same at Indy as last year, crappy non-race, with scheduled pit stops every 25 laps because the tires won't hold up. That's not a race, that's touring. I won't even bother to watch. :-(

Kim

5-06-2009 @ 1:06PM

You can't carry your own beer into Ky. speedway I think that would really suck to have to buy their beer. We carry like a case into Michigan and food and Jello shots. we have a blast

5-07-2009 @ 1:47PM

Marco said...

YES finally someone said it...1.5 milerszzzzzz
Borrring

ROAD RACING is KING of the worlds.lets add a Road race or 2 and add a fan base. Riverside rocked. cookie cutter that!!

or build another bull-ring out west ! Fontana.. Zzzzzzz Come ot Fresno!